Lee Hunts

I just finished reading A Song for the End of the World by Jason Fuhrman. Jason is a youtuber and someone I know (through discord, at least. Haha). As such, it should go without saying that I have biases at play here. I could go on about how I won't let any biases creep in, etc., etc. But let's be real: when have you ever believed someone when they've said something along those lines? I never have. I am biased, and I am obviously a bit uncomfortable about it. I also know that psychological research has shown that when our feet are held to the fire, and we are obligated to provide examples to bolster our reasoning, biases tend to disappear. As such, I will start with a vague spoiler free summary on my views, followed by a more in-depth spoiler discussion. I should also mention that I am waiting to watch the conversation between Britton and Jason because I want this to be my reaction to the book itself with little influence from the outside. Overall (No Spoilers) Overall, I e...

“That which exists without my knowledge exists without my consent.” I finished reading Blood Meridian, by Cormac McCarthy a couple days ago. This is considered to be Cormac McCarthy's magnum opus, a novel set in the mid nineteenth century. It follows the historical Glanton gang that infamously traveled throughout the west scalping native Americans and committing other wanton atrocities. Like every McCarthy novel, it is extremely violent and nihilistic, and is well known for that fact. Overall, I cannot say that I enjoyed the book all that much. I do not regret reading it, but it was rather tough to get through, with the combination of prose style, lack of characterization, and non-existent plot. I had to get the audiobook about twenty or so percent through to help me push through; finding the willpower to push through was actually kind of difficult. I almost DNFed it, too, but decided to stick with it. Overall (No Spoilers) As I said, while I did not enjoy the book that much, I did...

I just finished reading No Country for Old Men, by Cormac McCarthy. I also watched the movie adaptation of the book made by the Coen brothers, and I think the movie did an excellent job adapting the story for what it was, with some interesting choices made. I'll touch upon the movie in places, though this review will primarily be about the book. This book is most aptly described by relating to you the author; it is rather similar to Stephen King—just mention the author, and you can get the general idea and sell the book on that alone. McCarthy is known for his neo-western/anti-western novels that are characterized by their violence, their brutal realism, and distinctive prose style. The neo-western/anti-western description alone is seemingly contradictory, yet I've found that it describes this book perfectly (I'm not the one who came up with it). Along a similar train of thought, McCarthy's books have been described as both highly nihilistic and highly moralistic by peo...